Children's ride-on vehicles come in many different shapes and sizes. In addition to varying in shape and size, the vehicles often vary in theme. For example, Mattel, Inc. designs and manufactures a number of these ride-on vehicles having varied shapes, sizes, and themes. Vehicles for children between the ages of 3-7 years who weigh up to 130 lbs include the Jeep.RTM. Sand Blaster.RTM.; vehicles designed for children between the ages of 3-7 years who weigh up to 65 lbs. include the Suzuki.RTM. Quad Racer.RTM. 900; and, vehicles designed for children between the ages of 1/2-6 years who weigh up to 50 lbs. include the Lil Sand Blaster.RTM., to name just a few.
While each of these vehicles is unique insofar as size, shape and theme are concerned, there are similarities among some designs which enable the manufacture of a single component or components which may be used interchangeably among different vehicles. Using the same component on multiple types of vehicles saves engineering costs as well as reduces manufacturing expense through economies of scale. For example, the manufacturer need only assemble one type of electrical system which may then be incorporated into different vehicles. As a general rule, it is desirable to maximize the interchangeability of the parts among various vehicle designs.
In addition to the three general types of vehicles listed above, a number of variations of each type are also manufactured. For example, there are several different models based on the basic Jeep.RTM. body style, with each model incorporating different accessories to create a different appearance. One accessory that changes from model to model is the wheel size. An off-road style jeep, for instance, might incorporate larger wheels and greater ground clearance. As a result, the undercarriage which provides a mount for these wheels varies between and among the vehicles, which increases the cost of the design and the time spent assembling the vehicle. Thus, a significant need exists for standardizing the undercarriages of different-sized children's ride-on vehicles so that manufacture and assembly of the vehicles may be made more efficient and the cost thereof reduced.
With the above problems in mind, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel wheel-mounting assembly that can be adapted to accommodate different-sized wheels without modification of the body of the vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wheel-mounting assembly which may be used in more than one type or model of ride-on vehicle.
One more object of the present invention is to provide an assembly that achieves the above results and yet is economical to manufacture by virtue of having relatively few parts and is readily moldable from plastic.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a wheel-mounting assembly that does not require precisely manufactured parts and is easily attached to the rest of the vehicle.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a structure that is rugged enough to tolerate the abuses expected in the operating environment.